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Background: We evaluated the usefulness of CT and MRI for the diagnosis of perilymphatic fistula (PLF) of the round (RW) and/or oval (OW) windows, with surgery as gold standard., Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 17 patients who presented a surgically confirmed PLF of the round (RW) or oval (OW) windows. All patients were imaged by CT + MRI (T2W SSFP without contrast) prior to surgery (= gold standard). Two radiologists, analyzed the RW and OW on the side of the clinical symptoms and sensitivity (Se) + Specificity (Sp) were calculated., Results: Round window fistula was the most frequent (71%). The best sign of PLF on imaging was a fluid filling of the window niches, which had good Se (83-100% for RW, 66-83% for OW) and Sp (60% for RW, 91-100% for OW). Disorientation of the footplate and pneumolabyrinth were also only observed in 50% of OW PLF., Conclusion: The combination of CT and MRI is a reliable tool for a fast and accurate diagnosis of round and oval window perilymphatic fistula, with good sensitivity (> 80%). The most common sign of PLF on imaging is the presence of a fluid-filling in the RW (especially if > 2/3 of the RW niche) or in the OW niches on both CT and MRI. A disorientation of the footplate or the presence of a pneumolabyrinth are clearly in favor of an oval window perilymphatic fistula.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of [18F]FDG PET/CT for treatment efficacy assessment in patients with severe multisystemic phenotype of sarcoidosis with special emphasis on sinonasal involvement., Methods: Thirteen patients with biopsy-proven sinonasal sarcoidosis (SNS) who underwent two [18F]FDG-PET/CT were selected. PET/CT results were correlated with nasal endoscopy, biology and conventional imaging techniques (CT, MRI). Four and nine patients underwent first PET/CT before beginning treatment and during CS therapy, respectively. On the other hand, ten and three patients underwent second PET/CT during CS and after treatment withdrawal, respectively. The mean duration of clinical and endoscopic follow-up after the second scintigraphic examination was 51 months., Results: Eleven out of 13 selected patients presented with pathological nasal endoscopy at inclusion. Among them: 1) 5 showed persistent endoscopic abnormalities at follow-up evaluation. Radiological and PET/CT imaging was consistent with these results in 4 and 5 patients, respectively; 2) 2 showed a complete endoscopic, radiologic and PET/CT normalization after CS treatment; 3) 4 showed important alterations of the sinonasal structures preventing a definitive diagnosis by endoscopic and radiologic techniques. PET/CT suggested a residual inflammatory disease in two cases. No scintigraphic abnormalities were detected in the other 2 patients. Scintigraphic results were finally confirmed by a mean follow-up of 51 months. No pathologic sinonasal [18F]FDG uptake was observed in the remaining 2/13 patients who showed doubtful endoscopic and radiologic results during primary evaluation. The stability of endoscopic results without clinical and biological evolution was observed during 39 and 38 months of follow-up after the second PET/CT., Conclusion: [18F]FDG PET/CT seems to be a valuable non-invasive imaging technique able to evaluate the response to treatment in aggressive SNS, identifying persistent active disease even in those patients with destructive sinonasal aftereffects and/or with atypical therapeutic evolution. Finally, [18F]FDG PET/CT could be clinically useful to modulate CS treatment eventually integrating immunosuppressive drugs.

Objectives: Attempt to describe and analyse the radiological and nuclear medicine patterns of sinonasal sarcoidosis (SNS) still poorly reported in the literature., Material and Methods: Retrospective single institution study of 22 consecutive patients with symptomatic biopsy-proven SNS to evaluate the interest of CT, MRI, (67)Ga scintigraphy and (18)F-FDG PET/CT for diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up., Results: Nodules of the septum and turbinates are the most suggestive CT and MRI features. Other CT features such as sinusal filling, mucosal thickening, osteosclerosis or destructive sinonasal lesions are not specific and depend on clinical context and evolutive stage of SNS. (18)F-FDG PET/CT provides complete morphofunctional mapping of active inflammatory sites related to sarcoidosis with a better diagnostic sensitivity (100%) compared to (67)Gallium scintigraphy (75%). The changes in (18)F-FDG uptake intensity could reflect the efficacy of treatment., Conclusion: SNS is an uncommon and probably underdiagnosed phenotype of sarcoidosis. Even if guided biopsy remains necessary for SNS confirmation, medical imaging plays an important role in diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up. CT features with nodules of the septum and/or turbinates are suggestive of SNS contrary to other nonspecific CT findings. CT imaging is directly related severity, reversibility and course of SNS and provide an original radiological staging system in order to predict patient clinical outcome. PET/CT may be used for diagnosis assessement but also to monitor treatment response in a given clinical context, in a patient with histopathologically-proven SNS. Prospective and long term studies are necessary to validate these preliminary results., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The facial nerve is responsible for the motor innervation of the face. It has a visceral motor function (lacrimal, submandibular, sublingual glands and secretion of the nose); it conveys a great part of the taste fibers, participates to the general sensory of the auricle (skin of the concha) and the wall of the external auditory meatus. The facial mimic, production of tears, nasal flow and salivation all depend on the facial nerve. In order to image the facial nerve it is mandatory to be knowledgeable about its normal anatomy including the course of its efferent and afferent fibers and about relevant technical considerations regarding CT and MR to be able to achieve high-resolution images of the nerve.

A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 15 patients who underwent surgery because cholesteatoma or abscess was suspected. All patients had MR imaging prior to surgery with diffusion-weighted images (DWI) from which the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value was calculated. Using this technique, we were able to determine 3 distinct ADC value ranges corresponding to the 3 groups of lesions found at surgery (pure cholesteatoma, cholesteatoma with infection, and abscess or infection). This needs to be confirmed by further studies with a wider range of patients.

Objective: We explored the potential for patients with proven venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism (PE) to have occult malignancies detected during the same CT examination. To verify this, we compared the presence of occult malignancies identified on pulmonary artery CT angiography (CTA) and CT venography (CTV) when venous thromboembolism (VTE) was present., Subjects and Methods: Pulmonary artery CTA combined with CTV was performed on a 16-MDCT scanner on 186 adult patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism without any known malignancies. CTV was performed from the diaphragm to the knee 180 seconds after CTA. Two radiologists evaluated the presence of VTE, that is PE or deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and tumor lesions on both examinations in consensus. The malignant nature of the possibly identified tumors was confirmed by pathologic examination., Results: VTE was found in 49 patients (26%). Malignant tumors were detected in 24 patients (13%). Eleven patients with malignant tumors had VTE (46% of patients with malignant tumors; 22% with VTE and 6% of all patients). There was correlation with presence of malignancies between both and DVT and DVT associated with PE but not between presence of malignancies and PE only. Patients with DVT and those with DVT associated with PE had a risk ratio of 3.2 and 3.3, respectively, for having a malignant tumor discovered simultaneously., Conclusion: A high number of malignant tumors can be incidentally discovered on pulmonary artery CTA, even more so with additional CTV. Radiologists should scrutinize scans to pick up unknown malignancies, especially in patients with identified VTE.

Purpose: To assess the value of CT for diagnosis and follow-up of AFS. Evaluation of characteristic CT features of AFS., Methods: Retrospective review of 12 cases of AFS presenting with all published diagnostic criteria (1) chronic rhinosinusitis refractory to standard management (2) CT features of chronic sinusitis (3) anatomopathologic, immunoallergologic, biochemical and mycologic criteria. CT findings were correlated with surgical findings and reviewed by one ENT and two radiologists to assess the diagnostic value of different CT features, alone or in association., Results: AFS was isolated in 6 cases, and associated with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) in 6 cases. CT showed pan- or polysinusitis, unilateral or bilateral, with mucosal thickening, sinus opacification frequently heterogeneous, bony changes, fluid trapping, and with pseudotumoral appearance in 3 cases., Conclusion: CT findings alone are not specific or pathognomonic but may suggest AFS in the correct clinical or immunoallergologic setting. It may alert the physician to the need for complementary work-up, exclude the presence of associated lung disease, and better adapt treatment and follow-up.

Purpose: To identify the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) of a skull specimen on CT prior to transnasal endoscopic surgical management of anterior epistaxis., Materials and Methods: From a medial canthotomy approach, the AEA was located and a marker placed on 9 skull specimens (18 AEA). CT with 2D reformations was then performed. The AEA were then dissected using an endoscopic anterior ethmoidectomy approach. The presence of AEA procidence was recorded., Results: Correlation between CT and surgical findings allowed identification of 2 criteria predictive of AEA procidence: 1) presence of an ethmoid bulla above the AEA canal 2) AEA canal located below (not within) the ethmoid roof, anterior to the bulla., Conclusion: High resolution CT depiction of the AEA provides information regarding its accessibility for endoscopic ligation in patients with severe anterior epistaxis as an alternative to external ligation while demonstrating the upper limit of the anterior ethmoid.

Background and Purpose: Hypoattenuated foci in the otic capsule are routinely identified on multidetector CT (MDCT), particularly in pediatric patients. We aimed to describe and characterize the hypoattenuated focus in the anterior otic capsule., Materials and Methods: We first reviewed histologic sections of the temporal bone from 8-month-old fetuses to determine the nature of the hypoattenuated focus in the anterior otic capsule. A cadaver collection of skull bases from fetuses and neonates (n = 19), infants (n = 24), and young children (n = 23) were then studied with MDCT to determine the developmental evolution of this hypoattenuated focus in relation to the petrous apex. We specifically looked for the hypoattenuated focus in the anterior otic capsule, the development of the petrous apex, and the presence of other hypoattenuated foci in the fissula ante fenestram and middle otic layer., Results: The hypoattenuated focus in the anterior otic capsule corresponded histologically to a cancellous bone trabecula emanating from the middle otic layer and directed toward the petro-occipital fissure. At this level it was covered with a cartilaginous cap. The hypoattenuated focus was observed in all of the fetuses and in all of the postnatal subjects younger than 4 months of age and was always associated with hypoattenuated foci of the middle otic layer and the fissula ante fenestram. This hypoattenuated focus became less obvious as the petrous apex developed., Conclusion: The hypoattenuated focus in the anterior otic capsule should be recognized as a normal variant in pediatrics. It could represent a relic from the development of the petrous apex.

Conclusion: High-resolution CT scans are able to determine with accuracy the location of the anterior ethmoidal artery in relation to the roof of the ethmoid. This investigation should greatly help functional endoscopic sinus surgery to avoid accidental injury of the artery and to coagulate the vessel in cases of severe epistaxis., Objectives: This was a radio-anatomical study of the anterior ethmoid artery in order to assess the course of the artery prior to endoscopic cauterization., Materials and Methods: Eighteen ethmoid sinuses (nine heads) were dissected and high-resolution CT scans were performed in axial, coronal and sagittal planes., Results: All anterior ethmoidal arteries were identifiable. The arteries were included in the roof of the ethmoid in eight cases. In three cases the arteries were prominent under the roof. In seven cases the dissection found the arteries distant from the roof. This anatomical feature was associated with pneumatization of the floor of the orbit. The correlation between CT scan and dissection was very satisfactory.

Otosclerosis is a primitive osteodystrophia of the labyrinthine bone. Its diagnosis must be confirmed by a CT scan in order to eliminate the other causes that may lead to conductive hearing loss with an absence of stapedial reflex: fixation of the head of the malleus to the lateral wall of the tympanic cavity, absence of the long process of the incus or stapes, gusher syndrome, primary cholesteatoma, or tympanic facial nerve neuroma blocking the stapes. Particular problems in otosclerosis must be clarified: an extension to the round window (poor postoperative results), and extension to the tympanic cavity blocking the malleus and/or the incus, the labyrinthine lumen, or the internal auditory meatus (very rare). The position of the tympanic facial nerve canal and associated abnormalities must be assessed: stapedial artery, malformations of the ossicles and/or the labyrinth, and chronic otitis media. MRI is indicated in extension to the labyrinthine lumen, the internal auditory meatus, and in postoperative complications with labyrinthitis. MRI can also evaluate the active otosclerotic focus (gadolinium enhancement).